The Julius Prague

We checked in today for a weekend stay, and our first impression was extremely disappointing. The staff member Irena at the reception didn’t even try to greet us: when I said “hello,” in Russian by mistake she just replied dryly with “good afternoon” and immediately, in a demanding tone, asked for our passports without a smile, without a “welcome,” and without the slightest sense of hospitality. While escorting us to the room, I felt like I was standing on the platform of a departing train — she was so impatient and visibly irritated while my 71-year-old mother was getting up from the sofa. Then, while walking, she simply pointed with her finger where the breakfast room, gym, and elevator were, left us at the elevator, and walked away. It didn’t feel like we had arrived at a hotel we’re paying for, but rather like we were uninvited guests coming to her home. For a 5-star hotel, such an attitude is especially unacceptable. I hope the rest of our stay will be more pleasant.

We chose The Julius because it was well situated and because it has a fairly nice gym (which, is a bit of a rarity around Europe. Most are woefully under-equipped, but usually non-existent). The room was large and clean, but the bathroom was fantastic. I'm pretty sure it had heated flooring (and did have heated towel racks), but it was very spacious along with a large walk-in shower. The bed was firmer than I would have liked, but fine. The pillows were down, but too flat, I prefer more support (this is, of course, just preference). I think the hotel itself is approaching 'luxury' status while the staff are already there. They were all wonderful, attentive, friendly, and really elevated the experience. I didn't realize until we had lunch at Cafe Louvre in the city center that the hotel is owned by the same parent company, Julius Meinl. It must be the company culture because the same quality of service we had at the hotel, we also had at the cafe. Now, I figured the location would be good, but it wasn't until we had walked around Prague for a few days that I realized how good it was. It's really in a goldilocks spot. Right near everything, but one street removed from the crowds and traffic in every direction. Easy to get to with an uber from the airport, and somehow in a quiet cross-section with the powder gate just around the corner, Wenceslas Square 10 minutes down the street in the other direction, and the non-touristy part of town around the other corner. Highly recommended.

From the moment we arrived to the time we sadly had to say goodbye we were treated not just as guests but as friends. Everyone we met was welcoming, polite and nothing was too much trouble. Our suite was excellent - extremely clean, modern and well-equipped. Small kitchen with high-end appliances, lovely large shower with good quality products and a large bed with beautiful linen. Just one thing missing - USB ports for charging. During our stay we did experience a problem but it was dealt with professionally and without drama or fuss and this was very much appreciated. Breakfast was excellent - plenty of choice at the buffet and an egg station providing freshly cooked omelettes, fried, poached and scrambled eggs. Evening meal was also very good - particularly the steak and sea bass. Lopes at the bar was great - such a character and an excellent barman. Special mention to Mohamed, Irina and Petra at Reception and Simi in the restaurant. We hope to see you all again in the future.

Everything about The Julius Prague was wonderful from top to bottom. The staff, the rooms, hotel's architectural design and the hotels location. The location allowed us wonderful leisurely walks to various scenic spots nearby and short travel times to many of Prague's main attractions.

When I do reviews, I usually start with 5/5 rating then remove things based on things missing, incorrect, wrong with aspects of the hotel. With that in mind, the Julius Prague is a near perfect hotel. It is well located, with a few shops around, but within a 5-6 minute walk, you'll have tons of restaurant options (including a few patio options when the season is good for it), shopping, and you're even 8-9 minute walk from the train station, 5 minutes from any public transit that can take you anywhere. The service was immaculate from all areas: baggage, check-in/out, restaurant, cafe, etc. The hotel feels luxurious (and you are paying above average prices for Prague, but if you're paying 6-7/10 price wise, you're getting 9/10 for experience/hotel), you have tons of options and amenities, including the best laundry system i've seen in a hotel (miele machines that you pay with an app at your own use). The room was a good size, but slightly on the smaller size which made it tough when you have more than a few checked baggage, but nothing major. The biggest downside, by far, is the size of the bathroom which was one of the smallest i've seen in a nice hotel room (it was hard to find room to put any washroom items anywhere) but they do have one of the best showers i've had as well. Overall, great hotel, and even if you pay a little more than average, it's a great hotel for what you pay as it feels much more expensive than it is and worth every penny.